Have you already tasted "Kilawin" or "Bicol Express?" These food are not complete without the spicy flavor came from "siling labuyo," a red chili pepper. For Ilonggo we called it "katumbal." I bite into a chili pepper and within a seconds my lips feel like they're burning. How does a chili pepper set off a three-alarm fire in my mouth?

The answer is a chemical inside the pepper called capsaicin (cap-say-sin). No other plant contains this oil. It has no color or odor. Capsaicin sets off heat and pain sensors on sensitive areas of your skin, including the tongue, throat, and lips. The sensors tells our brain that our mouth is on fire, even though there is no rise in temperature. Our face gets red and begin to sweat. Our fire sensors have sent out a false alarm!

Not all peppers are alike. Some are super hot. Other peppers have no burn at all. So next time I swallow a chili pepper, I will definitely check out what kind it is.

Inside the Chili Pepper

The pedicle is the stem of the pepper.

The calyx (ka-licks) protects the flower before it opens.

Chilies grow from seeds, but the seeds don't produce capsaicin. They are hot only because some capsaicin from the nearby capsaicin glands rubs off on them.

The capsaicin glands are found between the placenta and the inner wall. These tiny sacs produce the capsaicin that causes the burn. The hottest part is near the top of the pepper, close to the seeds. To get rid of the most of the heat in a pepper, remove the ribs.

The placenta is a vein that runs the length of the chili. The seeds are attached to this, specially at he upper part.

The endocarp is the inside layer of the pepper. It surrounds the seeds.

The mesocarp is the middle layer of the pepper. It is thick and contains most water.

The skin, or outside layer, of the pepper is called exocarp.

The apex contains the least amount of capsaicin.

Putting Out the Fire

Capsaicin is so strong, we could put a drop of the stuff into 100,000 drops of water, drink it, and still taste the heat. Water won't put out this spicy flavor and heat. It just spreads the oil—and the hot sensation.

Instead, drink milk or tomatoe juice, or eat bread, rice, yogurt, ice cream, or salt. They absorb the oil Wear rubber gloves if you handle a pepper. If you touch a pepper, specially the ribs, wash you hands with soap and water. Otherwise, you might spread that burning sensation to the other parts of your body.

The Heat Is On

The heat of a pepper is measured in Scoville units. It was named after the creator of the scale, Wilbur Scoville. The higher the number of units, the hotter the pepper. Peppers of the same type vary, so they may contain different ames of capsaicin. That's why each pepper has a range of Scoville units.

Pure capsaicin: 15,000,000-16,000,000

Type of Pepper

Scoville Units

Naga Viper

1,359,000

Bhut Jolokia (also called Naga Jolokia or Ghost Chile)

850,000-1,000,000

Habanero Chile

100,000-350,000

Scotch Bonnet

100,000-325,000

Jamaican Hot Pepper

100,000-200,000

Thai Pepper

50,000-100,000

Cayenne Pepper

30,000-50,000

Serrano Pepper

5,000-23,000

Jalapeno Pepper

2,500-8,000

Poblano Pepper

1,000-2,000

Bell Pepper

0

Kwentologist Cool Facts About Spicy Pepper...

Birds spread the seeds of wild chilies. The birds don't have pain receptors in their mouth so the capsaicin doesn't bother them.